Tag Archives: Romania

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Well… almost. My latest book for children is the second book set in a village with startling resemblance to Magura, which in the books is called Fân.

Dahlia’s Pet Detectives (Dalia si micii detectivi) will be in the spotlight at the end of next week (Thursday 31st May, Friday 1st and Saturday 2nd June) when my new book is launched at Bucuresti’s Bookfest (Romexpo).

If you read Floss the lost puppy, you’ll recognise the village of Fân (Hay) where Dahlia and Chip are neighbours and schoolmates of Thea and Tudor Thimble. A completely new story, but set in the same Transylvanian village, high up in the Carpathian Mountains.

Spring is well sprung. Compared to last year, when the end of April saw me wading through knee-deep snow in late April, wrapped in thermal layers against the -8C freeze, this year it was sun, and no rain all month so we were beginning to face the horrible prospect of drought.

But early May has seen lots of gentle rain and the very occasional thunderstorm, which is perfect for the earth and growing things. ‘Nori si soare’ says the weather forecast. Occasional ‘furtuna’ warnings with lightning symbols lancing through the cloud, and so it’s proving. Perfect mixed weather for the cycle of wildflower meadows and sweet hay, and happy herbivores munching through lush spring grass. Glorious.

Grab the chance to get my book cheap, in time for Mos Craciun, with the lovely discounts at librarie.ro! The online bookshop is almost giving the book away – a lifelong present for the cost of a couple of coffees. How could you resist?

“You lend us your sharp eyes and understanding. You make us understand ourselves better, you make us better understand you. You give us importance by understanding us better than we sometimes do. Your book gives us hope in a world where we have lost heaven. ”

“A real painter in touch with the pure essence of things and beings. I found myself immersed into a dialogue with you, dear Arabella, about solitude, the energy that comes from living close to nature, the joy of being present to the sounds of the forest.”

“I simply love the way in which it is written, the fact that the words can make me actually SEE/FEEL your world, is just brilliant!”

“I’ve appreciated both your humour and your self-irony or the finger pointed at various strange characters you’ve come across … I got carried away…”

“The book is unlike anything I’ve read, full of emotion, in which the author puts her heart out for you, so it’s impossible not to be moved. And the language is so normal, alive, it’s like a friend whom you haven’t seen in a long time.”

“I had a ‘white’ night last night. I couldn’t take my hands off your book. It made me laugh, it made me cry or both at the same time. Regardless of what this country has been giving you, I am sure I speak on behalf of all of your Romanian friends when saying: “Thank you for what YOU give us.”

“Honest, deeply sensitive, beautifully expressed. What a fabulous book this is.”

“…the quality of your writing is top-notch and I adore the naturalness of your use of metaphor: ‘longing for dreamless oblivion cradled in the city’s roar’, ‘I’m a molecule on the skin of the earth’ and your precise punctuation, which gives your writing such a lovely flow.”

“Really, it’s wonderful – you’ve basically opened the door to a different way of seeing and understanding Romania.”

“…fascinating, and it reads just as you talk, flows so naturally. … Your chapter on Ginny was painful to read, powerful and compelling as the reader joins you every step of the way as you navigate the darkest of times.”

Big Uncle George Cat meets the two rescued kitts. Kittens are fascinated and a bit nervous of the big ginger fellow.

If you’ve always longed to have kittens, now’s your chance! Here are two Transylvanian feral kittens, about 12 weeks old, happy and growing fast. No longer wild, they purr like Ferraris and are now pretty tame. The girl is still a bit shy but no longer feral. No more hissing!

They’ve been wormed, but I will take them to the vet for a proper check-up and neutering before I let them go. They should stay together, and need a loving home where they’ll get affection, play and good food as well as care when necessary. They’re already very different characters, but both very sweet.

Fig, the boy (grey tabby and white) is smaller, but full of spirit, and loves to play. Loves cuddling, too, and promises to be very affectionate as he grows older.

Mango, the girl (with orange splashes in her brindle coat) is the bigger, but shyer of the pair. A fierce huntress, though, judging by the way she plays with a thing-on-a-stick toy. Has a massive purr and will snuggle inside a dressing gown very happily!

I love them already, of course, but I have a family of four cats who are ridiculously happy as they are, and don’t appreciate newcomers (I’ve had this problem with rescue kittens before). And six cats is a lot of cat.

If you would like Mango and Fig to be yours, and will give them a warm, loving home and lots of affection and care, do please send me an email to abbspepper@gmail.com.

NB They (we all) are in a mountain village in Transylvania, rural Romania, so long distance adoptions will be expensive… (best to adopt locally, really).

Judet Brasov or Brasov County. Magura is nearest to Zarnesti, in the bottom centre of the map.

These are two of the seven maps I’ve uploaded to the ‘Where we are‘ page, which should give you a better idea of where we are, from Romania’s place in Europe to the coordinates of the village. Now you have no excuse for not finding us…

One of the things I love about being here is the clouds. Are you a cloud-watcher too? The sort of person who looks for shapes in the clouds, luxuriates in the colours and textures, is happy leaning on a fence and watching for ages? What do you see in tonight’s offering?

Forget frost – this is the real Transylvanian, Carpathian, Central European start to the New Year… Hard winter, knee deep powder, frozen pipes, icy fingers, cats by the fire, sun making diamond dust of the snow… Happy New Frozen Year!

If there’s wind as well as snow, the drifts can climb at least halfway up the kitchen door…

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Limba româna

Life in the Carpathians

Magura is one of Romania's prettiest villages, 1,000 metres up in the mountains, in the Piatra Craiului National Park. Magura and neighbouring village Pestera are the only two villages in any Romanian national park. Life is sweet, the air is clean, and the welcome is warm.

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